How to create a ‘How To’ video

By Justen Haynes |
Sep 27, 2018

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From beauty tutorials to DIY projects, influencers, marketers, and brands use ‘How-to’ videos to establish themselves as experts in their industry. The best How To video ideas visually walk viewers through each step, using detailed imagery and descriptions to help them execute an end result anyone would be proud of. Based on some of the best practices that went into the ‘Step-by-Step Tutorial’ Storyboard available in the Wibbitz platform, here are some great How To video ideas and steps you can take to successfully show your audiences ‘how to do’ just about anything.

Step 1: Find an engaging topic.

You know your target audience pretty well at this point – so what is it that they want to excel at? Is it applying highlighter correctly, baking the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe, or starting a blog to gain traction for their brand? Brainstorm some good How To video ideas by coming up with tasks that many people may struggle to accomplish, and that you can help them master.

Step 2: Prove why you’re a leader in your field.

Why should viewers trust you to teach them a new skill? You don’t need to be established in your industry or have a huge following to know what you’re talking about. If this is your landmark ‘How-to’ video, first impressions matter, and you want viewers to see you as an expert with expansive knowledge into the topic.

Step 3: Chart out every step.

Make sure not to include too many steps though – your viewers don’t want to spend a lifetime learning this one skill. Your How To video ideas should be short, concise, and focus on simple enough tasks that are easy to follow, like ‘How to Ask Someone out on a Date’. Keep descriptions of each step clear and limited to the most essential points.

Step 4: Find the best creative media or shoot your own.

You can even do a talking-head style tutorial, speaking directly to viewers and guiding them through each step. Shooting your own media gives you creative control over what you want viewers to see, down to every little detail. But if you’re camera shy, or just short on time, this is the time to search for creative media and imagery that clearly conveys what you want viewers to visualize. We stocked the ‘Step-by-Step Tutorial’ Storyboard with lots of colorful footage that we have readily available in the Wibbitz platform.

Step 5: End on a positive note.

If you want to keep viewers engaged and coming back for more content, encourage them to try this new skill – and if at all possible, share their results! Whether you want them to upload a video, share photos of their finished product, or even get testimonials or feedback on your guide, leave them with the incentive to practice creativity. A simple Call to Action scene at the end of your video will suffice.